Network Exposure and Healthcare Privacy Breaches

Under Federal law requiring disclosure, the HHS reports on data breaches of over 500 records (these are the ones they know about, not the incidents never detected at healthcare provider organizations) – you can see that stats on patient privacy breaches here.

They’ve been doing this since 2009. That seems like a lot. We need to consider the potential damage of patient privacy breaches and the vulnerabilities that lead up to a breach.

Unlike a credit card breach where the card holder is insured, the damage when patient privacy is breached is not minimal.

Your data is brokered to potential employers and insurance companies. The privacy of you and your family doesn’t exist anymore – anyone can pay a darknet healthcare information broker a small sum of money and know your personal healthcare issues, deny you employment, raise your insurance premiums or blackmail you for financial gain.

Considering the increasing numbers of patient privacy breaches and potential damage to patients and families, the HHS numbers should be a strident wake-up call for the executive management of healthcare providers. (Read More)